Appology
by Stargirl888
Summary: Season 4: Daisy and Fitz take a step towards repairing their friendship when Daisy returns to SHIELD. One-Shot


****Hi all,****

****A short, random fic on Fitz/Daisy friendship. I don't think they every really showed these two making-up (or if they did I don't remember it), so this is just a quick look at how they may have started the process. ****

****To any of my old readers (and I do mean old - I don't think I've posted in several years now), please say hi in the reviews - would love to know who's still around. ****

****Disclaimer: Not for profit / Characters belong to Marvel etc. Etc. ****

****Please review afterwards - would love to know your thoughts!****

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****Timeline: POST 4x04 - PRE 4x05****

Daisy was distracted from her computer screen by the vibration of her phone. Glancing at the caller ID she took a breath and answered.

"Fitz?"

"Yeah, um, Daisy, I'm was just checking if you saw my mail with the notes on the Morrow family?"

"I got it but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet."

"Okay, well give me a buzz once you have, I want to discuss some ideas I've had."

"Will do." She hung up, sighing and resting her head back against the side of the zephyr, her current hiding spot of choice…not that she was hiding per se - just keeping her distance.

Fitz was probably one of the hardest parts of being back, and she hadn't forgotten what he had said the last time they found her. Not that he was making it deliberately difficult for her. He, like everyone else, was being civil….professional…and she wasn't sure if that made it worse or better.

She joined the team for meetings as they discussed plans and ideas, but she wasn't oblivious to the subtle shift when she was in the room - she had worked with them all long enough to notice the lack of off handed jokes, segues and friendly banter that used to be there. It was better she told herself, it made it easier for her to keep her distance - she was leaving after all, no point in them all becoming attached again. That thought made her feel slightly better about keeping to herself, it meant they could all go about their day and not be bothered by her presence….not get used to her being around….not allow herself to get used to being around them again.

That didn't mean she liked it. She missed the camaraderie, the friendship, the feeling of belonging that had been so rare in her life. She didn't deserve those feelings though, not after everything….but that didn't mean she didn't miss it.

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****Timeline: Post 4x08….later that evening****

Daisy had not expected the flood of relief she felt when the Director had announced she was and had always been an undercover agent. When she realized she was stuck with Shield. She knew Coulson was being genuine in offering her an out, and she would need time to process what being back really meant, but she didn't want to leave…in truth she wasn't even sure she could find it in herself to do it again.

She knew if she was going to stay though, she needed to mend some of the fences she had broken. Thankfully, she and Coulson seemed to be off to a good start, and she had already long made up with Gemma. Daisy wasn't looking forward to the next couple of training sessions with Mae, knowing there were several choices she would have to atone for there, but she also knew they would be fine and that Mae understood her choices better than most, even if she did not agree with them.

The person she wanted to talk to tonight though was Fitz. He had seemed genuinely happy that she was back, but whenever they interacted with each other directly there was still clearly an issue laying unresolved under the surface. He had slipped out of the impromptu gathering soon after Daisy received her lanyard, so, after a segue to the kitchen to grab a couple of beers from the fridge, she went in search of him.

Surprisingly, she found him in the garage, digging through a toolbox while muttering under his breath at the lack of organization in the box. He had his back to her.

"Does Mack know you're pilfering from his tools?" She asked lightly, causing him to pause slightly but he didn't turn around.

"Well I wont be pilfering anything with all the mess in this thing….it's really not that hard to get a system going. All I need is a 32' wrench for goodness sake." He poked at the tools again. Daisy opened one of the beers and placed the bottle next to the box; a silent peace offering. Fitz stared at it for a moment.

"You're really planning on staying then?" He asked, finally turning to face her but not touching the bottle.

"Well it's not like I was given much choice in the matter." Fitz's face hardened and Daisy realized immediately that this had not been the right thing to say. She relented, "All I meant is it would have been nice to be asked before he told the press."

"And had you been asked, what would you have answered?" Daisy diverted her gaze - they both knew the silent answer. Fitz turned back to the tools.

"I didn't…I don't want to cause more pain, for any of you." She tried to explain

"Oh, so that's why you did it?" Fitz exclaimed sarcastically, as though she had just solved a mystery. He rounded on her "Disappearing without a word, leaving your friends; your family behind to worry and sit around not knowing what you are doing, or why. Cutting us off so we can only imagining what you're going through."

"Fitz, people close to me get hurt. My whole life it's been a repeating pattern….I wouldn't have been able to handle if you, if any of you, got hurt because of me."

"Well guess what, instead of being hurt because of you, we got hurt by you instead." There was a pause, as the words hung in the air between them. When Daisy spoke again, it was softer.

"I know." She admitted "and I'm trying to make amends for that. I want us to get back to the old us."

Fitz picked up the beer bottle, turning it in his hands, thinking. Finally he sighed.

"It's going to take time Daisy."

She sighed, "Fitz," She waited until he met her gaze "I really am sorry for leaving the way I did."

He considered her carefully and Daisy could feel herself start to flush under the scrutiny. Finally he broke his gaze and took a swig from the bottle.

"Well," he said after, "I suppose it's a start." Daisy managed to tamp down her happiness enough to only let a half smile of it show. Picking up her own beer, she tilted it towards him in a silent 'cheers' to his words, before taking her own sip.

"Alright," Fitz said in a much friendlier tone than she had heard from him in a while as he turned back to the tool box "come help me, see if you can find this wrench I'm looking for."

Grinning to herself, Daisy went over to help.

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****I hope this didn't come across too disjointed - I had other ideas for this but that's where it went. Please review and let me know your thoughts! ****


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